Description: Survivors of parental abandonment and neglect often struggle with anxiety, self-blame, poor self-esteem, and self-criticism. They may also experience insecurity in relationships, feel unworthy of love, and worry that others will leave them. In this compassionate guide, psychotherapist and family trauma expert Kaytee Gillis helps readers develop a greater awareness of how they were affected by abandonment trauma, and presents powerful strategies to break free from self-blame and shame, trust themselves and those they love, and build a life of connection and empowerment.
Brief description:
Kaytlyn "Kaytee" Gillis, LCSW, is a psychotherapist and author with a passion for working with survivors of relationship and family trauma, and with the LGBTQ+ community. Her work focuses on assisting survivors and educating clinicians and the public about the effects of psychological family trauma. She has published several books and contributed to many others, and provides trainings nationwide.
Kaytee's work has been featured in TIME, BBC World News, The Dr. Wendy Walsh Show, CP24 News, and many other outlets. She is a regular contributor to Psychotherapy Networker, and writes the popular column "Invisible Bruises" for Psychology Today. An avid traveler, Kaytee enjoys trying the local coffee wherever she goes. She lives with her partner and two fur children.
Review Quotes: "Finally! This is the book I wish I'd read when I was going through my own family trauma. Gillis has written what will surely be the go-to guide for making sense of a kind of pain that's not much discussed. Individuals and therapists should pay attention to Gillis's smart and warm insights. This book will absolutely change lives."
--Jonathan Corcoran, author of No Son of Mine and The Rope Swing--Jonathan Corcoran